Calling Out Your Name
by dominacro
Summary: Nightmares are horrible, and sometimes you just need someone there to hold you through the night to make you feel better. So what happens when Hermione calls out Harry's name at night, needing him to comfort her from her horrors? Romance ensues
1. Midnight Surprises

_'The war is over. It's over. There's nothing to worry about,' _Harry thought to himself as he wiped the glistening sweat from his forehead. This was the fifth night this week he had dreamed of the final battle-well, not so much dreamed as had blood curling nightmares and awoke in a cold sweat.

"This is getting bloody ridiculous," Harry muttered as he got out of bed.

He shuffled to the door and headed out to get a glass of cold water, putting on a shirt before closing the door quietly so as not to accidentally wake Hermione, who's room was opposite Harry. She had recently gotten into the habit of sleeping with her door slightly ajar, and was easily woken by the slightest of noise._ 'Probably still scared,' _thought Harry sympathetically as he passed her room.

It has been 2 years since You-Know-Who had fallen at the hands of Harry and the wizarding world rejoiced. Shortly after the trio decided it would be a good idea to move into an apartment together, and start to actually have a life outside of fear of the Dark Lord and Death Eaters. Mind you, it was still dangerous seeing as how there were still quite a few Death Eaters that were never captured, but compared to the trios previous dangerous encounters, it wasn't something they lost sleep over.

Since Voldemorts defeat, the wizarding world had been treating the three friends like gods. Ron, not surprisingly, took a job with the Chudley Cannons as keeper. The Weasley clan no longer had to worry about money since he was finally able to provide for them. He spent most of his time away from home, traveling with the team and enjoying the single batchlor lifestyle; girls, money, etc.. Ron loved the attention and fame that came with his new status of quidditch player and hero.

Harry and Hermione, on the other hand, did not.

Going out in public was a media frenzy and made the pair highly uncomfortable, not to mention annoyed and aggravated. Harry decided to take a job as an auror at the Ministry of Magic, and Hermione at St. Mungo's as a healer. Over the past two years, the pair had become quite close, likely due to the amount of time both spent at home together avoiding the public eye. It was often speculated from the public and even from friends that there was something more between them. The gentle touches, the loving smiles they gave each other, the hand-holding the two were so fond of doing made them look more like a couple than just friends.

As Harry softly walked down the stairs, he was surprised to see the flames from in the fireplace dimly lighting the room at such a late hour, and was even more surprised to see a certain brown-eyed witch curled up on the couch with a book in her hand. Water forgotten, Harry softly walked over to her relaxed form, stopping momentarily to lean against the wall and take in the sight of her.

Hermione was sitting on the love-seat with her legs underneath her, a fleece blanket lightly draped over them. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and Harry noted she was wearing a pair of green pajama bottoms. He has given her them as an old Christmas present that she seemed to love, to his delight, and she wore night-shirt. '_She's so beautiful'_, Harry thought to himself and smiled as she furrowed her brow and bit at her lip, obviously trying to figure out something complicated in her book. '_And cute'_, Harry added before quickly scolding himself. '_She's your best friend Potter, you aren't supposed to think things like that about her!'_

_'_He'd been having thoughts like that about Hermione for...quite some time. He noticed more little things about her, like she loved wearing green and if she was in a good mood, she'd hum to herself while going about the flat. She preferred tea over coffee, and loved watching the changing colors of the sky as the sun set on the 60 acre property behind the apartments.

He also had noticed that her body was...perfection, for lack of a better word. Her face was beautiful, nothing in the world could compare to it in Harry's mind. Her body was gorgeous, she was no longer a little girl, but a beautiful woman. Hermione was curvaceous, and well-developed in all the right places that had his body doing things that made him practically run to a cold shower on a number of occasions. Harry longed to hold her in his arms and run his hands all over her amazing, sexy-his thoughts were interrupted when he heard a soft voice call out "Harry?"

He visibly jumped, blushing deep crimson at being caught staring, and dearly hoped the reaction to his livid thoughts wasn't noticeable.

Hermione smiled, completely oblivious to what was taking place in his mind and body, and placed her book down on the stand next to her. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Yeah well, I was just in the neighborhood." Harry smiled and walked over to her, putting his hands seemingly nonchalantly in pockets.

Hermione chuckled and scooted over, motioning for Harry to sit next to her as she sipped her tea. She looked at him and said in a more serious tone, "It's late Harry, what're you doing awake?"

"I was just going to ask you the same thing," Harry sat and put his feet up on the table, stealing some of Hermione's blanket as he realized just how cold it was. Hermione set down her tea and scooted closer to Harry, putting her legs over his lap and her back against the arm of the couch.

"I couldn't sleep. A lot of things on my mind."

"Like?" Harry raised his eyebrows questioningly.

_'You'_, Hermione thought before mentally scolding herself. She had been infatuated with him since before she could remember, and though she hated to admit it, she knew it was more than a little crush she had on Harry. Or a big crush. She loved him. She was completely and utterly in love with him. And it hurt because she knew that his feelings for her weren't returned, nor would they ever be. Hermione had given up on her fantasy of Harry and her being together long ago, but she couldn't help loving him.

She shook her head and replied, "nothing important."

Harry gave her a confused look but let it be. They sat in comfortable silence, Hermione siping her tea, Harry lost in thought. After a few moments Harry turned to look at her, "Mione?"

Hermione glanced at him and smiled._ He's so adorable_. "Hm?"

"If you ever get scared at night...if you have nightmares, feel free to wake me."

Hermione moved closer to Harry until she was practically sitting on his lap, and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shirt. Her hands clung to his body as if her life depended on it and she closed her eyes, trying to keep out the memory of those horrors. Harry held her in his arms, his insides squriming from being in such close contact with the woman he'd been in love with for what seemed like forever. He froze, that thought stopping him in his tracks. _Wait...love? Is that what this is? I love Hermione?_

"Oh Harry, thank you", Hermione spoke, snapping him out of his musings, her voice muffled against his shirt. It was true, when she wasn't dreaming of a certain raven-haired boy, she had nightmares full of the atrocious things she saw during the final battle and the months leading up to it. It wasn't rare for her to wake up screaming and sob for hours on end.

"Yeah well," Harry said, somewhat awkwardly, "I know how it feels."

Hermione opened her eyes and looked up at him, her arms still around his neck, "Is that why you're awake right now?"

Harry sighed and gave her a small smile, "Yeah. The famous Harry Potter, still having bad dreams about a fight that happened two bloody years ago." He untangled himself from her and stood up, walking to the window near the fireplace with a solemn demenor. He put one hand on the wall and the other in his pocket, gazing out the window at the sky. "I feel so ridiculous."

Hermione watched him go, her body missing his warmth. She ached and hurt for him, knowing how much he beat himself up over these kinds of things, no matter how large or insignificant. She slowly stood and stepped toward his hunched figure. "Don't you dare say that Harry," she said softly, putting her hand on his tense back and rubbing it, earning a small moan from Harry. '_God he drives me crazy' _Hermione thought, shaking her head in an attempt to focus on the current problem and not her hormones. "You've experienced things nobody should have to; you've endured things grown men couldn't handle, and at such a young age...," she had to stop, her voice growing thick with emotion and her eyes watering, "but you survived it Harry. And you conquered it and didn't let it defeat you. I have nightmares still, am I ridiculous too?"

Harry shook his head vigorously, "No, never. You aren't capable of it, you're perfec-" he stopped himself, blushing beet red. '_I need to learn to shut up once in a while.'_

Hermione smiled and blushed furiously, and moved her body in front of him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Well I have nightmares too, and I'm sure Ron does as well. And probably anyone who was affected by Voldemort and his cronies. It's part of the healing process," she spoke gently, as though speaking to a small child. Her eyes captivated his to where he couldnt turn away. They shone with love and care for him, so much it brought tears to his eyes.

He spoke in a broken voice. "Thank you Hermione," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her, holding her close. She embraced him and ran her fingers through his hair, slowly calming him down. After a few minutes they pulled away, smiling softly at each other. Harry yawned, "It's late, we should probably go to bed."

"We? Well, whatever you want Mr. Potter." Hermione gave him a wicked grin and winked, both of their hearts fluttering, and a certain other thing on Harry's body rising slowly. '_Oh, you have no idea how bad I want.'_

He blushed and tried to save himself, "I-I meant...you know what I meant, only if you wanted to...no! No I meant if you just couldn't sleep because of nightmares and..." his voice trailed off.

Hermione giggled and tousled his hair, "you're adorable when you get flustered, I was only joking. _'Kind of.' _"Anyway, it is late, we should get some sleep or else we'll be resembling the 'zombie' look tomorrow."

Harry laughed and wrapped his arm around her, walking up the stairs, "my dear, you are not capable of 'zombie'."

She laughed as they stopped in front of her door, "That's very sweet of you Harry, but i'm sure i could give you a right scare. But i won't be today, for I believe this is goodnight."

"Indeed it is Dr. Granger"

"Oh hush you," she said as she lightly smacked his arm, making him chuckle, "well, I had a good time with you tonight," she added, leaning her back against her door.

"I did too," he said grinning, running his hand through his hair. "Can I call you sometime?"

"Anytime" Hermione said grinned back and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Goodnight Harry," she whispered before giving him a last smiling look and going into her bedroom, closing her door softly behind her.

"Goodnight my Love" Harry whispered and sighed before going into his room and pulling off his shirt, preparing for sleep once again. He climbed into bed and turned off the light, placing his glasses on the nightstand before getting under the covers and drifting off to peaceful sleep.

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><p><em>My love?<em> Hermione thought, her heart pounding, her body pressed against her bedroom door. He eyes were saucer-wide and she felt as though she couldn't get enough oxygen to her brain. _Did he just say 'my love'?'_


	2. Late Night, Early Morning Revelations

**Ok well this is my first author note so bear with me. This is my first fanfiction story and i'm a little nervous, so reviews are very, VERY welcome! I was actually going to scrap this story and give up because i wasn't getting any reads on the other site, Wattpad, that I originally inteded this story to be on. I decided to post it on here and see if anyone would enjoy it, and people actually were! Your reviews motivated me, so I am going to press onward. **

**This chapter was initially just going to be Hermione's thoughts, but I found it too short so I just decided to throw Harry in their too so both their revelations end up in one chapter. I wrote most of this yesterday and this morning, and I've got an idea of what I want to happen in the story, but you never know, Harry and Hermione have a mind of their own...So without furthur adieu, i bring you "Late Night/Early Morning Revelations"**

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><p>' '<em>Love?' ' He called me ' 'love' '<em>, Hermione comprehended. _'Oh, Granger you must have misheard him, that's not possible...it can't be.' _Her heart was thudding against her chest, her body shaking. _'He said love, what else could it have been?' _She slowly slid down her door until she was sitting on the floor with her back against it. She bent her legs and wrapped her arms around them for warmth, her mind still reeling from what she had heard.

It's not possible; Harry deserves more and wants more_. 'He doesn't want his plain, boring bookworm of a friend as a girlfriend, he doesn't love me. He doesn't love me the way I love him; Harry Potter's not in love with me. He wants someone who's beautiful and can make him happy and please him...in THAT way. I can't do any of those things,'_ she thought miserably and sighed. _'I must have misheard him."_

Hermione hadn't been much of the dating type. Her last relationship, if you could call it that, was with Ron after the war was over. It hadn't lasted for more than a month, two at the most, and they did nothing more than fight, snog, and hold hands. But it was mostly fight. Hermione was still a virgin, which was why she was constantly teased, playfully mind you, from Luna and Ginny. Being the only virgin in her small group of girlfriends was something she didn't regret, but felt she was missing. But Hermione Granger knew she wasn't going to give her body away to just anyone, she would know when it was time for...that. She had never wanted Krum or Ron in that way, the only person she ever fantasized about being with sexually was...Harry.

Her eyes grew wide and her hand covered her mouth. _'Oh god, I want Harry'_. She knew she had fantasized and dreamed about him, on a rather large amount of occasions, but to actually admit that she _wanted_ him seemed to make her feelings all the more real.

She shivered, realizing just how cold it was sitting on the floor, and decided it was time to get into bed. Hermione slowly stood up, trying to remember how to properly walk again, and somehow made it to her queen-sized mattress. She climbed in and buried herself under the mass of blankets and comforters, wishing all of her revelations and discoveries would fade away as though they never happened.

She had to admit that over the years Harry had become quite a good-looking man. His eyes were dazzling green that shone when he smiled, and his years of Quidditch served his body well. It was rare for him to walk around the flat shirtless, but every time he did Hermione couldn't tear her eyes away from him. His chiseled chest and defined abs made her insides squirm and her very core tremble. It affected her so that Harry would come hold her, worrying that she was becoming sick due to her flushed face and lack of breath. The feeling of his incredible body pressed against hers didn't help her convince him she was feeling fine; to the contrary, it seemed that her symptoms only worsened. But according to Hermione, the sexiest feature about Harry was his jet black hair. The untamable nature of it did something to her that she couldn't describe. She longed to run her fingers through it and pull on it while he thrust into her, making her scream out and…_'God I want him,'_ she groaned and buried her face in her pillow_. 'I want him so bad it hurts'._

Hermione knew it was more than that though; she knew it was more than just lust for Harry.

Knowing someone for nine years, united through the most unimaginable, grim events possible creates a bond few can break. And when you include being together through some of the most joyous, exuberant times in one's life, it forms a bond nothing can destroy.

She realized she was in love with Harry after she started dating Ron. When they had first kissed, it was what Hermione hoped would be the start of falling in love with someone; that it would be like nothing she had ever felt. But soon after breaking apart from his lips, she realized that kissing Ron didn't give her the butterflies in her stomach she had wanted, the sense of fulfillment she so dreamed of. To the contrary, it made her feel emptier inside, which was likely the cause of their numerous fights. Hermione had her suspicions that Ron took the break up so well because he knew of her budding feelings for Harry, no matter how much she denied them to herself.

Their break up didn't come as a shock to anyone, if anything it came as a relief. Being around Ron and Hermione as a couple was nerve-wrecking as a result of their constant bickering. They remained best friends, both pleased with the split, but the person that seemed to be the happiest was Harry. He was sick of living in a house of constant yelling, crying, and fighting. There was no more stress of Ron's jealousy when the two spent time together; it was just overall easier on all of them. It was when he and Hermione were able to start getting closer to each other.

With Ron gone constantly, it left the two alone with each other. The first few days after Ron started traveling were immensely awkward, neither Harry nor Hermione knowing what to do. It was the first time in their friendship that they were actually left alone together with no monsters to fight. Gradually, things became easier for the two; they started to actually know one another more. After work they would come home, take a shower, and work on dinner together; Harry teaching her what he knew and Hermione teaching him what she did. Harry got a kick out of it and teased her to no end about it; cooking was one of the few things Harry Potter was better at then Hermione Granger. They would sit and have dinner together, discussing their days at work and the craziness that usually followed it before moving to the living room, hand in hand. It wasn't rare for them to stay up till the early hours of the morning, talking and laughing as they discovered more about each other on the living room couch.

It was times like those that Hermione loved the most. When Harry let his guard down and smiled a real smile that reached his eyes, or when he laughed so hard he fell over and tears welled up in his eyes. It was the Harry who was happy and free, who would hug and kiss her cheek when he would get sleepy, and beg her to stay up just one more hour with him. It was the Harry she loved with all her heart.

Hermione bit her lip, her fingers twirling her golden curls. It was late, or very early depending on how you saw it, and she knew she needed to sleep or else she probably would give Harry a morning fright. She giggled at her mental image of Harry hiding under the bed from her like a child, groggy from lack of sleep. She sighed and turned to lie on her side. Hermione Granger didn't consider herself a coward, not by a long shot, but she would be lying if she said she wasn't a tad bit scared to fall asleep, for fear of the nightmares that haunted her so. She glanced at the door, '_he's only a few steps away. He'll know if I need him.'_

With that, Hermione closed her eyes slowly and let sleep carry her away to a gentle slumber, filled with images of her and one, Harry Potter.

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><p>Harry stared up at the ceiling and scratched his head, yawning. <em>'What am I going to do about this?'<em> He sat up and moved to the side of the bed, placing his feet on the floor and his head in his hands. _'I love her. I'm in love with Hermione Granger and I don't know what to do,' _he thought frustrated. Not at her, but at his hopeless situation.

Shortly after falling asleep he woke again, not from a nightmare, but this time from a dream about Hermione. It was nothing more than memories of the two of them, small things like them holding hands, how perfect they fit together. How her smile could brighten a room and make his heart skip a beat. The way she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and turned to beam at him, how he so wished to lean in and taste the sweet heaven that was her lips. She made him feel like no other ever had.

Harry wasn't the type to go out on dates; he didn't quite care for it the way Ron did. Of course he was asked out all the time, he was the famous Harry Potter, but he always denied the women who asked, to their great distress. He preferred to come home and be with Hermione, and he couldn't see why everyone thought that was so outlandish. _'She's amazing,'_ he thought, '_I don't want to be with any other woman.' _Hermione was the only person who had stuck by him through the worst times in their lives. She had risked her life to be at his side, and though he didn't approve of it, he secretly thanked god she did. He needed her. _'I wouldn't be here without her—I couldn't live without her.' _

'_I love her.'_

Harry stood up and glanced at the moving picture to his right, a small smile forming on his lips. It was one of his favorite pictures, if not his favorite. Hermione was smiling, radiant as always in her beautiful gown she wore to the Yule Ball, lighting up the room. Her arms were around his neck, and they swayed back and forth as they grinned at each other, their eyes never leaving one another's. Harry picked it up and watched it as she leaned up and gave picture-Harry a soft kiss on the cheek, making him blush.

He walked over to the window and opened it, a light breeze hitting his bare chest. He looked at the sky and admired the stars, picking out the largest one to call his favorite, picture still in hand. His new revelation of love made him feel…worried and calm, if such a thing were possible. Harry now knew what it was he had been looking for, the piece of him he had been missing for so long. It was Hermione, it had always been Hermione. _'I was just too stupid to realize it,'_ he thought as he leaned on the window frame, a sad smile on his lips.

'_So now what do I do?' _He peered out at the slowly lighting sky, as though asking the gods to give him an answer to his troubles. _'I can't tell her. She'll…I don't know what she'll do,' _he thought as he picked up a small rock from his jar and threw it out at the trees, straining his ears to hear if he connected with anything.

Whenever he couldn't sleep as a boy, he would chip off the wood from his bed frame and throw it out through the bars of his windows, listening to see if he hit anything. If he did, then he got a point, if he didn't, he lost one. He stopped playing the point system as he grew older, and replaced the wood chippings with smooth rocks he would find in the wooded area behind the apartments, but he continued to throw them out of his window. It calmed him, gave him something to do. He heard the far away sound of his rock hitting what sounded like a lamp post, and smiled. _'Least it wasn't Mister Grunwald or one of his crazy cats.' _He couldn't count the number of times he had hit the old man with a wood chipping and heard him going off on another rant about how the world was coming to an end, and that wood falling out of the sky was a sign of it. He would giggle and watch the old timer get into a huff before wearing himself out and going inside to sleep, or whatever it was that he did.

Harry reached for another rock and sighed, unable to find anymore in his jar. _'Bollocks, I need to get more tomorrow.' _He stretched and yawned silently, climbing into bed again for the 3rd and hopefully last time tonight. He nestled himself under the blankets and closed his eyes, the question of _'what do I do?', _still worrying his mind.

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><p><strong>So how did I do? Comments and reviews are welcome!<strong>


	3. Lazy Afternoon Napping

**Sorry for the long delay, I keep my writing a secret so the only time I actually ge to write is at 2 or 3 in the morning when my family is asleep. But here it is, "Lazy Afternoon Napping". I know, it's not the greatest chapter and I'm sorry, but i needed to set up the whole 'friend's are going to come over next weekend' thing, so bear with me and leave your comments and reviews!**

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><p>Crookshanks was the type of cat that was pleased when he was feed as expected. He preferred his mistress have a normal routine as she did on the weekdays so he knew when he would be fed. He was very aware of when everything was to take place, but unfortunately for Hermione, he was not aware of what a 'weekend' was. Even if he did, he likely didn't find the unpredictable feeding schedule appealing. Which is why at ten o'clock on Saturday morning, a particularly grumpy Crookshanks trotted into Hermione's bedroom, meowing in an attempt to rouse his owner. When he saw that said tactic was producing no results, he grew more agitated and did what always woke her. Crookshanks jumped on the pillow and crept towards his sleeping mistress, climbing his 10 pound body on top of her rising chest. Hermione mumbled something unintelligible and attempted to push him away, further motivating the feline. Seeing that he was getting a reaction, he began meowing loudly, causing his mistress to finally wake.<p>

Hermione groaned and turn away, opening her eyes and immediately being blinded by the sunlight that shone in between her window blinds. She sat up in bed with her back against her headboard and swatted the cat away, annoyed and drowsy. Crookshanks jumped off the bed and walked towards the door, stopping before reaching the hallway to begin meowing at his master again.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Hermione grumbled, grabbing her wand and climbing out of bed. She followed the aggravating feline down the stairs towards his food, yawning tiredly. _'I should have gone to bed earlier.'_

She pulled out her wand and flicked it, opening the canned food and pouring it into his bowl, earning herself a thankful meow from the feline as he rubbed against her leg. She pulled up a chair next to Crookshanks and sat at the table, muttering a silent "teaparmontia", making a warm cup of tea appear in front of her. The apartment was so silent in the mornings; Hermione was always the first one to awake. Harry would follow second and Ron would usually shuffle in to the kitchen closer to the noon hours of the day. Hermione glanced up at the clock and her eyes opened widely, surprised when she saw the clock read **'12:36'**.

'_God, what time did I go to bed?'_ She shook her head, disapproving of her wasted hours asleep. Hermione hated waking later than 10 o'clock, she felt as though all the hours she spent sleeping could have been hours spent on much more important things. What things, she didn't quite know, but she still stuck to those beliefs.

As she quietly sipped her tea, Hermione enjoyed the peaceful quietness that came with a good morning. She hummed a tune to herself between drinks, relaxing her body and thinking about what would be done today. _'I should really talk to Ginny about next weekend,' _she thought to herself. Ginny and Draco had moved into their own apartment together not too long ago, causing quite a stir in the beginning between the friends. But now, things were much more relaxed between the trio and the new couple now that Harry and Ron were sure that Draco was a decent chap, considering how he made life hell during their years at Hogwarts. Since they moved however, the friends hadn't gotten to see each other in quite a while.

It was much the same with Luna, who was working on stories and articles with her job at the Quibbler, and Ron who was traveling all the time with his team. The friends wanted to spend some time together and all agreed to come to trio's flat to talk and stay the night, and have fun like old times. There was plenty of room in their apartment for all the mates to sleep.

'_And if need be I could just bunk with Harry' _Hermione added as an afterthought, images of her and Harry rolling around in bed together, tearing at each other's clothes filling her mind and making her shiver with excitement.

'_Where is Harry?' _Hermione questioned, pulling herself out of her lascivious reverie and putting her tea down, straining her ears to hear if the shower was on. He would sometimes hop into the shower before coming downstairs and getting his coffee, but he wouldn't take until noon to do it. After listening for a fair amount of time Hermione stood up and started up the stairs. _'It's almost 1 o' clock; he should be awake by now.'_ She stood at his door and listened carefully, confirming there was no noise coming from his room.

She knocked quietly, but receiving no answer so slowly turned the knob and opened the door.

"Harry?" Hermione softly called, tiptoeing towards his bed, the sight of him taking her breath away.

He was laying on his back with the blankets tangled wildly around him, breathing softly in sleep. His hair was a frightful mess, making Hermione smile, and one of his hands was under his head while the other lay thoughtlessly at his side. '_He looks so peaceful when he sleeps,' _Hermione thought to herself, her eyes softening and heart melting at how sweet he looked. She sat at his bedside and examined him thoughtfully. When he would fall asleep on the couch watching the tele, she would watch him adoringly. He seemed…peaceful when he slept, he didn't look strained or have the worry lines around his mouth like he did when he was awake. He resembled a small child, innocent and virtuous. _'He still is, in a way,' _she thought sadly. Hermione was shaken out of her reflections when Harry furrowed his brows and started moving his legs as though trying to run.

"Harry, wake up." She said, shaking his shoulder. He grumbled and opened his eyes a tad bit before groaning and closing them again, grabbing her hand.

"Hermione….early" he mumbled, taking her hand and holding it as he turned on his side facing her, his eyes still shut. He held her hand and played with her fingers, twirling them with his.

"It's closer to noon actually, and I don't want you sleeping all day," she said matter-of-factly, trying to ignore the strong pounding of her heart. Hermione took her hand from his and ran it up his arm until it was in his mess of hair. She ran her fingers through it affectionately, making him sigh happily.

'_Blimey, I love when she does that, it feels so good.' _He had a special weakness for her when she ran her fingers through his hair. She was the only person he ever allowed to do it to him, and it made him feel amazing. Harry opened his eyes slightly and gave her a cheeky grin, "Well, why don't you join me?" he asked, opening the blankets up for her to lie next to him.

Hermione bit her lip and raised her eyebrows at his request, trying hard to keep her breathing even. "Me? Climb into bed with such a hormonal boy? Why, I'd never!" She exclaimed, acting as though she were deeply offended by such a request.

"Oh, I think you will," Harry replied, his grin widening. Before Hermione had time to respond he grabbed both her hands and pulled her in his bed next to him, making her squeal in surprise. He laughed and put the blanket back on top of them, and wrapping his arms around her.

"Harry James Potter! Don't you dare do that to me again!" Hermione scolded and smacked his arm, though she kept in her place next to him.

"You know you wanted to," he said, making the blankets fit snug around them, "and now you're stuck here forever" Harry added menacingly, tightening his hold on her and making her giggle. Hermione turned to face him and rested her head next to his on the pillow. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled, "I guess you're stuck with me forever then."

Harry grinned and kissed her cheek, "Lucky me." _'You wish Potter'._

Hermione smiled and closed her eyes, as did Harry, and they slipped into a peaceful doze for a time, changing positions every so often. Hermione would turn on her left side with Harry behind her, or Harry turning on his back with Hermione half on top of him, her hand on his chest and her head on his shoulder. Between consciousness and sleep they'd awake and watch the other affectionately, thoughts like_ 'this feels so right' _or _'we fit perfectly'_ both entering their minds.

What seemed like mere minutes to the napping pair turned into hours. While they nodded off in Harry's bed, downstairs in the living room there was a "popping" sound as Luna apparated into the flat.

"Hermione? Harry? Anyone home?" she called, looking through the living room and peeking into the kitchen._ 'Where could she be?_'

Hermione was supposed to meet her for lunch at the Three Broomsticks an hour ago to celebrate her increase in sales over the last few months as a result of her big interview with the still institutionalized, once best-selling author, Gilderoy Lockhart. But an hour into waiting Luna grew restless and decided to figure out what was the reason was for her friend's delay. She wasn't mad; no one really knew if Luna was even capable of anger, the spacey girl was just curious. Hermione was always on time and wasn't one to forget events.

She climbed up the stairs and called again, glancing into Hermione's room. "Hermione are you here?" She was just about to enter it when a groan coming from the opposite room caught her attention. Luna turned and leaned into the bedroom she presumed to be Harry's, and opened her mouth in surprise (something rare indeed for a person like Luna Lovegood to do).

The sight before her looked like two lovers rather than two friends. Harry was lying on his back with Hermione completely on top of him, her hands on his chest. His arms were wound around her tightly, his hands on her lower back where her shirt rode up. Her face was in the nape of his neck, the blanket covering their bodies up to their waist, giving the impression that her friends, particularly the already shirtless Harry, had no clothing on underneath.

"Hermione!"

Hermione's head shot up, startled, and looked around blearily at what had awoken her. When her eyes rested on Luna she tilted her head, confused. "Luna? What are you doing?" She asked, yawning and stretching her arms out widly.

"I was just going to ask you the same thing," Luna replied, her initial shock giving way for a mischievous grin. "How long have you two been, uh…" She motioned to Harry's still sleeping form, completely unaware of what was happening.

Hermione followed Luna's motion and laid eyes on Harry before bringing her eyes back to her female friend, knowing what she was thinking. "Luna it's not like that. I came in here to wake him up and the git coaxed me into joining him," she said and shook Harry's shoulder much like she did the first time. He opened his eyes with a start and looked up at her, his eyes glassy. "Wha-what is it?" he asked groggily.

"Come on and get your arse out of bed, Luna's here," she replied, tilting her head towards their quirky former-classmate. He sat up and his eyes followed the direction she gestured. He smiled sleepily at their mutual friend.

"Mornin' Luna," he greeted her and pulled off the blankets, causing her to squeak from the belief he was nude. His eyes shot up at her alarmed sound, similar to a dog's ear when a foreign noise rang out. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he gave her a confused look before turning to Hermione with eyes questioning, 'What's with her?'

Hermione shook her head and climbed out of bed, Harry immediately missing her warmth. Luna leaned her back against the wall next to the door. "Afternoon Harry," she replied after a time, giggling at his state of grogginess. "Sorry to interrupt the two of you, I got tired of waiting for Hermione at the Three Broomsticks, so I came to see if she happened to be home."

Hermione gave her a confused look before remembering of her lunch date with her friend. Her hand flew to her mouth and she looked apologetically at her. "Oh! Luna I'm so sorry, we had a late night and when I woke up I completely forgot," she said, feeling guilty at the thought of her friend sitting at their table all alone, waiting for her.

Luna merely smiled and waved her away, "It's fine don't worry about it, I can see you were…busy," she answered, turning her eyes to Harry again, "I can't blame you, he looks…"

"Luna!" Hermione exclaimed. Harry, who was standing next to the bed looking for a pair of jeans smiled sheepishly, still looking down acting like he didn't hear comment, clearly embarrassed. Hermione watched as her friend took in the sight of Harry, whom was still shirtless, and couldn't help the feeling of jealousy churn in her stomach. She stood and walked in front of him, putting her hands on her hips and giving Luna a 'don't you dare finish that sentence' look. Her friend grinned wider and shrugged her shoulders, pushing herself off the wall and walking towards Hermione.

"I'm sorry, I'll behave myself. I was just checking to see nothing bad happened to you, we'll go grab lunch another time," she said, giving her friend and hug and a kiss on the cheek, "I have to go right now, I have a date tonight and I need to go home and get ready," she finished, heading towards the door, leaving the pair alone. She walked down the stairs and called out to her friends, "I'll see the both of you next weekend, don't let all the sex tire you out!" Harry and Hermione blushed beet red and yelled "Luna!" in unison before the audible "pop!" sound, signaling she had flooed out.

Hermione sighed and fell back on the bed, Crookshanks jumping up and resting next to her. Harry glanced over at them and smiled, both of them still slightly red in the cheeks. He put on his shirt and grabbed his empty rock jar, sitting next to her, the awkwardness of their friend's last sentence still lingering over them.

"How are you?" he asked after a time.

Hermione turned to him and scratched her head, thinking. "Well rested," she said, chuckling, "I just wish I didn't sleep so much today, I feel like a bum," she finished, frowning.

"Harry held up the jar and put it on her stomach. "Well, the day's not over yet. Get dressed and we'll go grab some rocks and then head out to dinner, my treat," he said, standing up and going over to his closet to search for a pair of shoes.

Hermione picked up the jar and looked it over, wondering what he was talking about. "Rocks? Why are we getting rocks?" she asked, puzzled.

Harry shook his head and sat on his bed. "I'll explain when we get out there, hurry up and get ready before it gets too dark. Trust me it'll be fun," he finished. Harry got up and walked over to her and grabbed her hands, pulling her up. He gave her one of his adorable smiles he knew she loved and kissed her cheek, "now go get ready," he said softly.

Hermione smiled and gave him the jar, heading out towards her room. _'What's he got up his sleeve this time?' _she wondered, shaking her head and closing her door, getting dressed for her evening with the man she loved.

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><p><strong>Comment and Reviews are very helpful and much needed! :D<strong>


	4. Slight Jealousy?

**I know, I'm sorry it took me so long to make this chapter. School's starting in a week which means I need to read my AP Book and write those 5 essays I was assigned, so please forgive me :), i tried to make it up to you by writing a longer chapter. Please, your comments and reviews really motivate me and push me to continue on, so dont forget to hit that 'Review' button when you're finished reading!**

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><p>Hermione walked into the bedroom and closed the door softly behind her, glancing around. Her room didn't quite look like a girl's room; but then again it didn't look like a boy's room either. It was painted a light tan color, and her bed was against the wall on the left side of her room, a nightstand to one side and her dresser to the other. The opposite side of the bedroom was covered with bookshelves, hundreds of books available at her fingertips. Harry had given her free reign of the massive library at Grimmauld place, which still belonged to him, (though he rarely visited) and allowed her to take anything she fancied. Every week or so she would switch out books from her room and the library, thus having a constant flow of knowledge available to her.<p>

There was a large white lounge chair against the end of the bookshelf with a lamp next to it so she could read during the nights. Full length windows lined against the wall opposite her door, letting sunlight illuminate her entire room in the mornings and waking her for the day.

Hermione leaned against the door for a moment, slightly exhausted from her late nap. She ran a hand through her disheveled hair and walked over to her dresser, picking up her dirty clothes off the floor and tossing them into the hamper. Her room was usually clean, though she assumed living with two guys had rubbed off on her and that was likely the reason why the apartment and her room were always a tad bit messy now.

She didn't mind though, it made the place look more lived in, more welcoming.

Hermione grabbed a simple, fitted T-shirt and put it on with her shorts while putting her hair up in a messy bun quickly. 'We can come back home before dinner and change clothes.'

Glancing in her mirror at her reflection, she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear before turning to her mess of sheets, pillows, and blankets.

"Harry are you finished?" she called out, clearing off her bed so she could make it. A soft knock came at her door and Harry peeked in, his eyes meeting her and smiling. "Yes, i promise we wont be out there long." He came in and walked over to her chair near her books, taking a seat.

"Well don't you look fancy." He said, smiling cheekily. In all honesty he thought she looked amazing. He loved seeing her beautiful brown hair all wild and in a messy bun, it looked quite cute on her if he did say so himself. 'I love when she puts her hair up like that,' he thought affectionately, his smile getting bigger. His eyes travelled down her body to her long, smooth legs. She looked gorgeous in shorts, he could stare at her legs all day and not tire of it, he found them perfect. When they would sit together and watch the tele, she would often put them over his lap and he'd run his hands over them, fighting hard to keep control of himself and not touch her somewhere no friend should be touching.

Hermione huffed, snapping his eyes back to her face as she put her hands on her hips and glared at him playfully, acting affronted. "Something you want to say about my outfit dear?"

Harry strolled over to her and smiled warmly. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist from behind and whispered into her ear, "You look gorgeous love, you always do," before planting a gentle kiss on her cheek.

Hermione blushed a deep crimson and closed her eyes, attempting to catch her breath. She leaned back again his strong chest, causing him to tighten his hold on her.

"Oh Harry love, you're sweet."

"I just speak the truth," he responded and closed his eyes as they stood there together. She placed her hands over his, and their fingers intertwined around her stomach, causing butterflies to flutter inside both of them. Harry breathed in the scent vanilla and pure Hermioneness. 'This is what love is. This is so…easy. Natural.' Harry thought smiling, running his hand up her arm and giving her goose bumps.

Hermione shivered at his touch and bit her lip. 'He has no idea what he does to me.' She brought their still intertwined fingers to her lips and kissed his hand before turning to face him and smiling.

"When are we going to head out?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck, his arms still around her waist.

"Right now, I'll go grab the jar," he replied, giving her a quick peck on the lips before heading out of her room to grab his things.

"And you might want to take a jacket Hermione, it's cold outside." He called from his bedroom.

Hermione grabbed her wand and flicked it whispering a quick spell to make up her bed, and picked up an old jacket of hers off the floor. She put it on and walked out of her room and down the stairs, placing her wand in her back pocket and checking around the living room to make sure all was in check. Ever since the battle, Hermione had been more observant of her surrounds, more aware of everything that was around her. She had nightmares often of things coming out at her that she had not noticed before, Death Eaters in a corner she had failed to see. It was something she was truly terrified of, and was the reason she had slept with her door open. Often when she would awake from a late night horror, Hermione would be frozen stiff, terrified to move for fear of something popping out at her and attacking her. She had figured if something did happen, having her door open would make it easier for Harry to hear her scream and he would save her. She felt safe with him, she knew he would stop at nothing to ensure her safety. It was one of the many reasons she loved him. Hermione had a great number of people who cared for her and loved her deeply, but with Harry it was different. She could feel his concern for her; she knew he would die for her if it ever came down to it.

At that moment Harry appeared, walking down the stairs and putting his dark jacket on with his pair of jeans and black buttoned up shirt. Hermione noticed his wardrobe was almost entirely black, save for a few jeans and the green shirts he wore on occasion. She liked it, it made him look...sexier, if even possible. The dark colors brought out the captivating shade of green in his eyes, and made him look dangerous. Even when he would lounge around the house, he usually wore black sweatpants with a plain white shirt, or just dark pajama pants and a green shirt. She enjoyed admiring his body, she did it quite often, and was constantly caught by Ron who would silently tease her about it when Harry wasn't around.

Harry looked up at her and smiled, his jar under his arm.

"Ready?"

Hermione nodded her head and they walked out of the apartment towards the elevator, slipping her hand into his. As they stepped inside and punched in the first floor button, they stood there in a short silence.

"This is the one thing I dislike about living here, in apartments." Harry said, watching the numbers go down as the elevator lowered closer to the ground.

"What?" Hermione asked confused, looking at him.

"The elevator. It's so…awkward standing next to a complete stranger in total silence, just waiting for the other to leave," he answered, smiling and looking over to her, "don't you?"

Hermione thought for a moment. "Yes, I don't really care for it either. Especially when it's a male," she said, wrapping her arms around her and shivering. "Do you have any idea how many times I've been asked out by complete strangers in here?" she asked, letting out a deep breath.

Harry narrowed his eyes and tightened his hold on her hand. "I really don't want to know," he growled, glancing back at the number up, his face darkening.

Hermione watched his reaction and was slightly taken aback. She had seen his face and felt his hold on her hand, and knew he didn't like this subject. Whenever they would go out to eat and men would smile at her or treat her nicer than need be, he would get into a fit but always tried to conceal it. She felt guilty that she was pleased that it affected him; it showed he didn't want her with other men. Of course, Hermione was only too willing to comply.

They reached the bottom floor and exited the elevator, walking around the building to get to the forest-like area behind the apartments. The pair enjoyed the area. It was nice and quiet; peaceful serenity that they had forgotten existed as a result of how eventful their young lives had been. Of course Ron had gone through the same things as the two, but he wasn't one to recognize it or realize what it was that they had missed. He didn't know that it was what the three had never really gotten to experience in their lives, or how much they needed it. He couldn't understand why his best mate spent hours in the woods, or why Hermione enjoyed taking long walks out there all alone. Of course, even if he did, it wasn't really like Ron to spend his time like that. He didn't think like Harry or Hermione did, he didn't see their time as "children" like they had. Ron had a family that knew what dangers he faced. He had somewhere to go that, although wasn't particularly quiet, sheltered him and allowed him to be free and as at peace with something as Ron could get. Harry and Hermione didn't have that. They never spoke about it or walked it with each other, but they knew the woods did that for them. It allowed the two to relax and free themselves; to ponder on things that they never fully had the chance to. It was a haven for their minds.

So they continued walking hand in hand together into the forested area, both lost in thought. As they walked deeper, Harry seemed to wake from his trance and lead Hermione to wherever he was taking her. She followed wordlessly, her mind drifting as she drank up the beauty of the nature. Her eyes followed the massive trees to their very tips, their leaves swaying in the wind that brought them to life. Harry abruptly stopped, shaking her from her musings, as a squirrel went darting past the two. Their eyes meet and they smiled, chuckling as they continued on.

The sound of water slowly grew louder as they came closer to it, Harry leading the way. They turned a corner and Hermione gasped at the sight of the peaceful river before her. It was a clear, pure blue that she had never seen before, the magnificent intensity of the forest making the place look like a colorful dream. The sun was setting beyond the trees, painting the sky a dazzling shade of red and orange, making the scene look more beautiful than thought possible.

"How do you like it?" Harry asked gazing at her, breaking the silence that fell over the peaceful surroundings. He had been watching her for a fair amount of time, trying to gauge her reaction to the amazing scene before them. Hermione turned to him and stared into his eyes. The lighting of the sky made his eyes shine, the stunning emerald of his them taking her breath away. She brought a hand to her chest and smiled, looking around.

"It's…it's beyond words. It's incredible, however did you find it?"

Harry smiled and let go of her hand, walking towards the river. He sat on a small rock near the water and motioned for her to come over, placing his jar down at his side.

"I came out here searching for stones and heard the river. I figured there would be some near water so I tried to find it," Hermione watched as he reached down and picked up a handful of small rocks, "I got lost quite a few times out here looking for the river, but eventually I found it. When I first saw it I couldn't believe it, this place was like nothing I had ever seen before. I traced my steps back home when I left and made a little mental map of how to get here and back. Been coming here almost every day ever since." He finished, tossing a few stones in the water before dropping the rest into the jar he brought with him.

Hermione listened to him intently, surprised that this is where he was disappearing to every day. It wasn't rare for her to return home from work and there be no trace of Harry for what seemed like forever, but he would always be home before the sun was down, smiling and happy. She had wondered where he was spending all his time, but was afraid to ask for fear of what his answer would be. She had secretly been frightened that he was gone all that time with a woman, but it never made sense that he would be home before the night considering what kind of things happen between couples at night. She let out a sigh of relief and smiled inwardly at his story, but couldn't help feel perplexed.

"I don't understand Harry, why do you come out here searching for rocks?" She asked, somewhat confounded. Harry smiled and laughed lightheartedly at her confused face. He picked up his jar and shook it as though it was the answer to her question, the rocks knocking around inside it before he set it down and continuing with his selection.

"I get them for my jar here," he responded, glancing at her face to see if that was enough explanation. When it was clear it wasn't he continued on, "When I can't sleep at night or I have too much on my mind, I take them out of my jar and throw them out my window. I've done it for as long as I can remember, it helps relax me you know? Helped me forget about the Dursley's when I was younger. Now it gives me something to focus on instead of my worries." He tossed a few more inside of it before picking it up and weighing it in his hands, trying to calculate if it was enough. When he determined it wasn't adequate he returned back to his job of sorting, getting engrossed into his work.

Hermione watched him with admiration, smiling at the focused look on his face as he stared at the rocks in the jar, sizing them up. She stood and walked along the river's path, gazing into it as the fish raced by and disappeared deeper into the water. They stayed like that for a time, Hermione lost in thought as the peaceful sound of the water and birds chirping relaxed her, the pair in silence but together nonetheless.

The sky was started to grow darker when finally Harry stood and picked up his jar, walking over to Hermione's peaceful form. She stepped towards him and they smiled at each other.

"It's getting late, ready to go eat?" Harry asked, putting his arm in her jacket and putting it around her waist. Hermione did the same to him and they slowly made their way back to the apartments.

"I need to change clothes but yes I'm quite hungry." Hermione answered, her stomach growling as though providing evidence to her claim. Harry laughed affectionately and kissed her cheek, smiling at her.

"Let's go get you dressed and then we'll do something about that grumbling."

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><p>The two were standing in front of a small, quaint little restaurant near London, sticking their wands in their back pockets before entering. It was a muggle area within walking distance of Hermione's parent's house Harry learned the first time she brought him. They would sit at a table outside during the summer and have little chats, learning new things about each other. When Hermione was younger she and her parents would come eat at the little restaurant all the time on their lunch breaks Harry learned, always at the same table, which is where they would now eat whenever they came. They had lunch together there on a number of occasions; it was loads better than being in public in the wizarding world. The pair preferred being in the muggle world when they went out in public. They loved the wizarding world of magic, but it was difficult to act normal in it, especially when they were trying to eat while people gawked and pointed, or came to sit with them or asked for autographs.<p>

"Hi my name is Karen and I'll be your waiter today." A young woman greeted them as she ushered them to a table, her head down as she tried to fix her shirt. She was blond with a very voluptuous body, whom it seemed was trying to button up her shirt, looking like it had recently been torn off her. 'Oh God', Hermione groaned, 'just what I needed'.

Whenever Harry and she would go out to eat, muggle or wizard world, the young waitresses would flirt, or try to at least, with Harry and it drove Hermione insane. Harry hated it to say the least, and they would always have a rotten time, mainly Hermione, whose order was usually wrong and the waitresses were extremely rude to. 'This girl's probably no exception.'

Karen looked up to see Harry, and Hermione saw with a sinking feeling the look she gave him with her gorgeous blue eyes was nothing short of lust. She immediately stopped buttoning her shirt, leaving it open so anyone who was looking could see her bra. She tossed her hair back and smiled sexily at him, something Hermione had witnessed countless times.

"Well, is there anything you desire sir? I'm sure I can please you." she said in a seductive tone and leaned over to give him a clear view of her breasts, making Harry regret coming here. He looked at Hermione who was staring down at the table, covering her face from him so he couldn't see her hurt expression.

"Give us a minute." Harry ordered, not even glancing in their waitresses' way, his eyes focused on Hermione. Karen turned her eyes to Hermione with a dark look on her face but answered in the same seductive tone, "Anything you want sexy." Before turning and walking away, swaying her hips more than necessary, not that Harry noticed.

Harry frowned and reached out for Hermione's hand, making her look up at him with sorrowful eyes for a half second before plastering on an insincere smile. 'I don't like this.' Harry thought, squeezing her hand and bringing it to his lips, kissing it softly. Her eyes softened and she let her fake smile drop from her face.

"Love, what's wrong?" Harry asked in a concerned voice that made Hermione's heart swell and her love for him intensify. 'He cares about you Hermione.' She shook her head and sighed, biting her lip, 'Be honest with him.' Hermione took a deep breath and looked down at the table again.

"Would it be out of place for me to tell you that I hate it when girls do that?" She asked, her cheeks turning crimson and she laughed nervously. Harry was taken aback, genuinely surprised at her admission. He was going to ask 'when girls do what?', but he knew what she was speaking of. She wasn't the only one who hated it, he did as well. He wasn't the kind of person who responded to that, he never did, but of course it didn't stop girls from trying. It was another reason he loved Hermione and he knew his love for her was true. She never had to try like every other girl did; she never had to cake makeup onto her face to look attractive, or speak differently or dress revealingly. Hell, she could walk around in baggy jeans and one of his monstrous shirts and he'd be aroused. She was the only woman he was attracted to and the only woman he ever wanted to be with in every possible way. It made him feel…better, knowing that his feelings about the guys that flirted with her were reflected in a way.

Harry smiled and squeezed her hand, watching for her reaction. "It's not, considering I feel the same way about when guys flirt with you."

Her head shot up and she looked bewildered to say the least, her eyes wide. "W-what?" she asked, unbelieving. Of course she had noticed whenever she mentioned it or whenever he saw it he looked angry, but she never believed he could be jealous. 'Why would he be jealous?' she wondered. Hermione would be flirted with occasionally by men but she didn't like it. To the contrary, it made her highly uncomfortable. She just assumed his reaction to it was out of brotherly concern, not spite. She couldn't help but feel pleased by it though.

Harry shrugged and stood up, pulling her to her feet and grabbing her coat on the chair, putting it on her.

"Let's get out of here, I'll make you something at home." He said, pressing a kiss to her cheek before taking her hand in his and walking out of the restaurant, the two feeling stronger about each other than before.


End file.
